1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a treated matrix and method for making and using the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a matrix treated with at least one lipid, emollients, lubricants, antimicrobial agents, skin protectants or medicaments and a surfactant. This matrix transfers the lipid to a skin surface as a thin film on contact.
2. Description of the Art
Heretofore, emollients, protectants, medicaments and lubricants that are slightly, or not, soluble in water have been applied using emulsions of oil and water. Examples of such emulsions include skin lotions and other skin care products. However, such emulsions are non-uniform, separate, and are susceptible to bacterial growth. While the addition of surfactants improves and extends the life of emulsion, such additions do not solve the problems since oil and water simply do not mix. Moreover, such compositions are difficult to formulate and apply.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,102, entitled Method of Making a Dry Antimicrobial Fabric, issued to Sheridan, the applicant herein, on Feb. 25, 1992, and was assigned to the same assignee as the present application. This patent is directed to a method of making a substantially flexible dry matrix or towel for use in cleaning a surface by removing dust and/or organic film products. The Sheridan U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,102 matrix includes a glycol compound, a cationic surfactant, and antimicrobial agent and, in a preferred form, a nonionic surfactant, each of which is water soluble.
As disclosed in Sheridan U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,102, in example 1 thereof, at col. 9 line 40-col. 10 line 23, commercially available dust cloths cannot clean a surface because they are incompatible with water and leave an oil-in-water smear behind. Even when squeezed dry, they are oily and create more dirt to be cleaned. The invention described in Sheridan U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,102 solved the problem by being able to clean with water. Because the components are water soluble, they are able to clean the surface with water. Sheridan's success was attributable to restricting the cleaning components to water soluble materials.
Sheridan U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,102, however, did not address the specific problem confronted herein, namely providing a vehicle or matrix for transferring an emollient, lubricant, protectant, and/or medicament where at least one of the components was water insoluble as defined in the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, i.e., an emollient, petrolatum, zinc oxide, vitamin A, vitamin D, zinc carbonate, etc., or of low water solubility, i.e., slightly soluble.sup.1 in water such as zinc citrate, zinc phenate, sulfadiazole, sulfa-guanidine, citronellol, hydantoin, etc. As used herein, the terms soluble and slightly soluble are used in the conventional sense (see Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, for example). This is particularly applicable to transferring a skin care product to the skin from the matrix. FNT .sup.1 Slightly soluble--soluble in water on a relative scale: 1=insoluble, 2=slightly insoluble, 3=soluble, 4=very soluble, 5=miscible (CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 75th Edition, David R. Gide, page 1-3). Soluble--capable of mixing with a liquid (dissolving) to form a homogeneous solution. The degree of solubility may conventionally be expressed: very soluble--less than 1 part solvent freely soluble--from 1 to 10 parts solvent soluble--from 10 to 30 parts solvent sparingly soluble--from 30 to 100 parts solvent slightly soluble--from 100 to 1000 parts solvent very slightly soluble--from 1000 to 10,000 parts solvent insoluble--more than 10,000 parts solvent needed to dissolve 1 part substance (solute). (Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 3d Edition, p.787.)